


Day 1: Used as Decoration

by Curse_my_sarcastic_nature



Series: 12 Days of Winter Whumperland 2020 [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: 12ww.1, AMOW Winter Whumperland, Angst, Burning, Fire, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Used as Decoration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:08:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28026810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curse_my_sarcastic_nature/pseuds/Curse_my_sarcastic_nature
Summary: Tim knew where he was. On top of the gaint Christmas tree the mayor had insisted on putting up in the middle of the shopping precinct. The question was why.The screens winked out for a second before changing to a blinding white light. Tim winced at the brightness and squinted to see.The screen changed and panic coursed through Tim’s veins as the Joker’s face registered into his view. Said man’s horrific grin took up the frame of the screen as he spoke into the camera.***12 Days of Winter Whumperland, Day 1Used as Decoration
Series: 12 Days of Winter Whumperland 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2052900
Kudos: 16





	Day 1: Used as Decoration

The lights were what woke him up. They shone, blinding him even with his eyes shut. Slowly, he opened them blearily and glanced around, tired and half asleep. Instinctively he took in that he was in his uniform, mask on. His comm and bo staff missing.

“And it looks like the little bird’s awoken!” A voice giggled maniacally.

At this Tim’s mind started whirring, taking in any and all details given. He was up somewhere high. Lush green foliage was beneath him, dotted with twinkling lights. Screens surrounded him on all sides, save for behind him were he was tied fiercely to something pointy and scratchy. The buildings of Gotham stretched out as far he could see.

Tim knew where he was. On top of the gaint Christmas tree the mayor had insisted on putting up in the middle of the shopping precinct. The question was _why_.

The screens winked out for a second before changing to a blinding white light. Tim winced at the brightness and squinted to see.

“Oops!” The voice called. “Just a minute. Technical difficulties everyone, no need to worry!”

The screen changed and panic coursed through Tim’s veins as the Joker’s face registered into his view. Said man’s horrific grin took up the frame of the screen as he spoke into the camera.

“Hellooo Gotham,” The Joker cheered to no one. “Today’s main event, we’re getting an Angel for our Christmas tree!”

The camera panned to look up at where Tim was restrained at the top of the over grown plant. He was slightly beaten up and seemed to be bleeding sluggishly from his shoulder, which he couldn’t feel just yet. To his utter surprise, there were feathery white wings behind him. He twisted his head, and one of the feathers tickling his nose as he looked at the wings.

He gave a hoarse cough and noticed his throat was dry. So Tim has been taken a while ago. He remembered finding someone crying in an alleyway, and after carefully checking his surroundings, he had gone to check on them. Obviously not carefully enough.

“Folks, I give you Red Robin!” The Joker waved his arms wildly.

“Who are you speaking to?” Tim asked.

“Why, what a question. I’m talking to Gotham of course! Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one?”

“Gotham?”

“Oh you sad bird, this is being projected onto screens all around Gotham.” He laughed, the sound echoing around the space like waves.

The Joker smirked hideously and gestured to the tree. “Red Robin here has been missing for hours, and no one has found him yet!”

Logically Tim knew that there was a perfect explanation for this. He had been on his way to visit his team. His family would think he was already there, and his team would have assumed that he got held up in Gotham. That didn’t stop the sting or the way the poisonous thought latched onto his brain like a leech.

Hadn’t they checked with each other to see if he’d arrived yet? And if it was projected around Gotham, why hasn’t Bruce come for him yet?

The Joker went on talking, Tim only half listening as scenarios of escape ran through his brain. He couldn’t reach any tools to free himself from the tree, and his arms were restrained tightly to the tree. Some of the Joker’s goons wandered around down below, though he couldn’t see them close enough to make out which ones. He had lost his lock pick the other day and stupidly hadn’t replaced it.

The telephone wires in front of him. Maybe if he could each them… he didn’t know just yet, but he could come up with something. Carefully leaning forward, he tried to grab the wire with his legs. He missed. Again he reached for it, and again he missed.

The Joker saw what he was doing and his face turned venomous.

“Stop that!” He snarled. “I was going to wait a little while longer, but now you’ve annoyed me.”

Tim snorted. Annoyed him? The Joker was a frustration to deal with, and never hesitated to do his worse.

“Ready for the surprise?” The Joker yelled. A couple of noises came from his henchmen, but otherwise he was greeted by quiet. He pulled a metal cylinder out of his breast pocket and held it out to the camera to look at. Then his grin opened terrifyingly wide and he clicked down on the button.

A fire erupted at the bottom of the tree and started eating its way up. Facts ran through Tim’s mind. There wasn’t enough smoke for him to suffocate from, meaning he would burn. When the fire reached him, he would be in pain until it burned through his nerves. The fire would most likely kill him by cutting off his respiratory tract, meaning oxygen wouldn’t get to his lungs. Unless of course it got to his major organs first.

Of all the ways he thought he would die, he never imagined it would be on top of a _Christmas tree_ , as an _angel_. Jason had nothing on him.

It was getting hotter and hotter, the tree growing weaker. Tim didn’t want to die, he wanted someone to rescue him. Orange glow echoed around him, filling up the space and intertwining with the Joker’s voice.

It started with his feet, but quickly spread out across Tim’s body. The pain was so intense he couldn’t think properly. Everything was _burning burning burning_ and he couldn’t _breathe_. He was sure he was screaming, but he couldn’t hear anything expect the blood rushing through his ears and the maniacal laughs of the Joker.

The last thing he saw before he clenched his eyes shut was the laughing pale face of the Joker and bright orange light. Then darkness overwhelmed his vision and Tim Drake felt no more.

* * *

That night Gotham wept, for another one of her angels had been ripped from her grasp.

**Author's Note:**

> First challenge! At first I want really sure what to write but then I came up with this, so this is what you get! The Joker really is crazy. Prompt/requests are open!
> 
> Come talk to me on my tumblr!  
> https://thesporklecat.tumblr.com/


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